Does anyone have a home education package funded by an LA?

My ds with Downs and autism was taken out of mainstream, special school and an independent school for ASD due to challenging beh. For past year we have had a fabulous full time teacher at home funded by the LA. The improvement in him has been unbelievable - no challenging beh at all now. Yet the LA have decided to cancel this arrangement on some spurious reasons (mostly because of administrative issues) even though it's a cheaper option than sending him to his last school so for once it's not about money.

We need examples of where this has worked in other authorities just to prove that this arrangement can work. Can anyone help? We have had so many battles along the way. Thanks.

I could be wrong but think you're unlikely to get answer saying yes here in the home ed area, because funding for an education programme delivered at home isn't usually regarded as elective home education. Are you on forums for Downs?

We don't, but we have friends that do - after quite a battle. The LEA were not providing for the needs of the child and the parents were able to prove that - so they provide 1:1 at home. Not sure how many hours but I know it is thousands of pounds worth.

I have a friend who had funding from the LEA for a while for her son. He has sn, but I don't know/can't tell you any more than that. I know she did get it for at least one year though.The LEA in question was Hartlepool.

We have 'education otherwise than at school' specified on our son's statement of SEN (an applied behaviour analysis programme for autism). He does also attend mainstream school part-time but with a 1:1 provided by the ABA consultancy not provided by the school. We had to go to tribunal to make the LA fund this and prove the school based provision did not work.

Special educational provision otherwise than in schools can be provided under section 319 of Education Act:

(1)Where a local education authority are satisfied that it would be inappropriate for(a)the special educational provision which a learning difficulty of a child in their area calls for, or(b)any part of any such provision,to be made in a school, they may arrange for the provision (or, as the case may be, for that part of it) to be made otherwise than in a school.(2)Before making an arrangement under this section, a local education authority shall consult the childs parent.

ABA programmes often come under this part of the Act and can include part-time education otherwise than at school.

There is also guidance on DFE website for LAs to provide funding for parents who HE children with SEN - they can choose to do it but don't have to - under a Statement the Council must fund what the statement requires.

If you want a home tutor then I think you would need to apply for a statement of SEN and get that specified on the statement - there are other options than a tutor eg internet schools

You have more chance I think if you can demonstrate progress towards returning to school even if only part-time attendance - so my son started 3 half days, then 5 and now goes 6 half days. But because he has very specialist support we don't have any of the same problems with behaviour we had when he had an ordinary school TA / LSA.

Lots more people on special needs forum HE children with SEN if you pop over there you'll get more replies

Thank you all for your replies. I can at least now say to our LA that we are not unique and that other authorities have funded home programmes. My son has had a statement since he was four (he's now 15) but the LA have not updated it for two years since he left his last school. This is convenient as we can't go to tribunal without a current statement. So we are now taking legal action as they are in breach of the SEN code. Probably won't save our programme though. Thanks again for your help.